THE 

LAWS  AND   ETIQUETTE 

OF 

CINCH 

COMPILED   AND    EDITED 

The  Chicago  Cinch  Club, 

CHICAGO, 

1890. 


Copyrighted  1891 

BY 

The  Chicago  Cinch  Club. 


Slason  Thompson  &  Co.,  Chicago. 


Preface. 

Cinch,  as  it  is  now  played,  is  by  far  the 
most  entertaining  and  scientific  of  all  the 
offsprings  of  the  game  of  Seven-up.  Tak- 
ing its  proper  place  amongst  club  card 
games  but  a  short  time  ago,  it  has  become 
more  popular  than  all  others,  and  to  the 
end  that  uniformity  of  plaj^  may  generally 
exist,  the  following  rules  have  been  com- 
piled and  submitted  to  the  best  known 
Cinch  players,  and  accepted  and  endorsed 
by  them  as  properly  governing  all  points 
that  have  arisen  in  the  game  or  that  may  at 
any  time  become  a  matter  of  controversy. 

The  Chicago  Cinch  Club. 

December  15TH,  1890. 


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THE   LAWS   OF   CINCH. 


1.  Cinch  is  played  with  a  pack  of  fifty- 
two  cards,  and  two,  three  or  four  persons 
can  play  at  one  time. 

2.  The  game  consists  of  forty-two  points 
and  the  player  or  players  first  scoring  that 
number  win  the  game. 

TWO  AND  THREE  HANDED. 

o.  The  pla}'ers  cut  for  deal,  the  lowest 
card  having  the  deal,  the  Ace  being  the 
lowest  card  in  cutting.  The  player  entitled 
to  the  deal  shall,  after  the  cards  have  been 
properly  shuffled  and  cut,  give  nine  cards 
to  each  player,  three  at  a  time,  and  in 
regular  rotation  to  the  left.  No  trump  is 
turned. 


6  THE    LAWS    OF    CINCH. 

4.  The  pack  must  be  shuffled  above  the 
table  and  so  that  the  face  of  no  card  can 
be  seen. 

5.  Each  player  has  a  right  to  shufifle, 
once  only.  The  dealer  has  always  the 
right  to  shuffle  last.  Should  any  card  be 
seen  during  his  shuffling  or  whilst  giving 
the  pack  to  be  cut,  he  can  be  compelled  to 
re-shuffle, 

6.  Each  player  deals  in  his  turn;  the 
right  of  dealing  goes  to  the  left. 

7.  The  player  on  the  dealer's  right  is 
compelled  to  cut,  and  in  so  doing  must 
not  leave  fewer  than  four  cards  in  either 
packet.  If  in  cutting  or  in  replacing  the 
packets  one  upon  the  other  a  card  be 
exposed,  or  if  there  be  any  doubt  as  to  the 
exact  place  in  which  the  pack  was  divided, 
there  shall  be  a  fresh  cut. 

8.  If  the  dealer  deals  without  having 
the  cards  properly  cut,  or  if  a  card  is  faced 
in   the  pack,  or  if  the   dealer  in  any  way 


THE    LAWS    OF    CINCH.  7 

expose  any  of  his  adversary's  cards,  or  if 
he  give  to  any  player  too  few  or  too  many 
cards,  there  must  be  a  fresh  deal.  If  the 
dealer  expose  any  of  his  own  cards,  the 
deal  stands  good. 

9.     A  dealer  does  not  lose  his  deal  Vv'hen 
a  misdeal  occurs. 

10.  If  at  any  time  during  the  deal  or 
play  of  the  hand  the  pack  be  proved  to  be 
incorrect  or  imperfect,  a  new  deal  shall  be 
made  and  no  points  scored;  or  if  any  card 
be  faced  in  the  pack,  there  must  be  a  new 
deal;  or  should  a  dealer  omit  to  have  the 
pack  cut  to  him,  and  the  adversary  dis- 
cover the  error  prior  to  the  last  three  cards 
being  dealt,  and  before  looking  at  their 
cards,  a  new  deal  can  be  claimed  by  them. 

11.  If  during  the  play  of  a  hand  it  is 
discovered  that  any  player,  other  than  the 
dealer,  has  too  many  or  too  few  cards,  it 
shall  constitute  a  misdeal.  Should  the 
dealer's  hand  be  found  imperfect,  he  shall 


b  THE    LAWS    OF    CINCH. 

be  called  upon  to  discard  all  beyond  what 
he  is  entitled  to,  or  draw  from  the  discard 
pile  enough  cards  to  complete  his  hand, 
but  he  can  not  take  up  any  trumps  from 
the  discard   to  make  his  hand  good. 

12.  If  before  the  deal  is  completed  or  a 
card  led  by  the  buyer  of  the  trump  privilege 
it  is  discovered  that  the  cards  are  being 
dealt  out  of  turn,  it  shall  constitute  a  mis- 
deal, and  the  player  whose  turn  it  is  to 
deal  shall  re-shufifle  the  cards  and  deal; 
but  if  the  deal  has  been  completed  and  a 
card  led  and  quitted  by  the  player  naming 
the  trump,  the  party  dealing  shall  have 
established  his  right  to  the  deal  and  the 
game  shall  continue,  and  the  player  to  the 
left  of  the  dealer  shall  take  the  next  deal. 

13.  The  following  are  the  points  that 
can  be  scored  and  are  given  in  their  regular 
order  of  precedence: 

High. — The  highest  trump  out.  The 
holder  scores  1  point. 


THE    LAWS    OF    CINCH.  9 

Low. — The  lowest  trump  out.  The  win- 
ner of  the  trick  containing  it  scores  1  point. 

Jack. — The  knave  of  trumps.  The  win- 
ner of  the  trick  containing  it  scores  1 
point. 

Game. — The  ten-spot  of  trumps.  The 
Avinner  of  the  trick  containing  it  scores  1 
point. 

Pedro. — The  five-spot  of  trumps.  The 
winner  of  the  trick  containing  it  scores  5 
points. 

Cinch. — The  five-spot  of  the  opposing 
suit  (same  color  as  the  trump).  The  win- 
ner of  the  trick  containing  it  scores  5 
points. 

Low  can  be  taken  by  any  trump. 

Jack  can  be  taken  with  any  higher 
trump. 

Game  can  be  taken  with  any  higher 
trump. 

Pedro  can  be  taken  with  any  higher 
trump. 


10  THE    LAWS    OF    CINCH. 

Cinch  can  be  taken  with  any  trump 
higher  than  the  four-spot. 

Thus  14  points  can  be  made  in  a  single 
deal. 

14.  The  loser  of  a  game  has  the  option 
of  the  first  deal  in  the  next  game. 

15.  After  the  cards  have  been  dealt,  as 
per  rule  No.  3,  the  eldest  hand  (the  player 
to  the  left  of  the  dealer)  proceeds  to  bid 
for  the  privilege  of  naming  the  trump; 
each  player  in  turn  has  the  right  to  make 
one  bid  and  no  more. 

16.  The  bidding  proceeds  in  rotation,  be- 
ginning with  the  eldest  hand.  The  dealer 
has  the  right  to  the  last  say  and  may  either 
sell  to  the  highest  bidder  or  decline  to  sell, 
in  which  latter  case  he  is  forced  to  raise 
the  bid  and  names  the  trump  himself. 

17.  A  player  whose  bid  has  been  ac- 
cepted commences  the  play,  and,  after 
naming  the  trump,  discards  from  his  hand 
to  the  center  of  the  table,  faces  up,  three 


THE    LAWS    OF    CINCH.  11 

or  more  cards  as  he  may  elect,  the  other 
players  having  the  same  privilege,  the 
dealer  discarding  last.  The  dealer  is  then 
called  upon  by  the  different  players  who 
have  discarded  more  than  three  cards  to 
help  them  to  as  many  cards  as  thej^  have 
discarded  in  excess  of  three,  or  enough  to 
complete  a  hand  of  six  cards,  that  being 
the  number  that  each  player  must  hold 
when  the  play  commences.  The  cards  are 
helped  in  the  order  of  the  deal,  the  eldest 
hand  (the  one  first  to  the  left  of  the  dealer) 
being  helped  first. 

18.  The  deal  being  now  completed,  the 
player  naming  the  trump  must  lead,  but 
a  trump  lead  is  not  compulsory.  Each 
player,  beginning  with  the  player  to  the 
left  of  the  leader,  plays  a  card  to  the  lead, 
and  when  all  the  players  have  played,  that 
constitutes  a  trick.  The  player  taking  the 
trick  shall  then  lead  for  the  next  trick. 

19.  Each   player  must  follow  suit  if  he 


12  THE    LAWS    OF    CINCH. 

can,  unless  he  choose  to  trump.  If  he  has 
no  card  of  the  suit  led,  he  is  not  compelled 
to  trump,  but  may  play  a  card  of  any  suit 
he  chooses.  The  highest  card  of  the  suit 
led,  unless  trumped,  wins  the  trick,  and 
the  winner  of  the  trick  has  the  next  lead. 

20.  The  playing  proceeds  in  this  way 
until  all  the  cards  held  by  each  player 
have  been  played.  After  the  hands  are  all 
played,  the  points  are  properly  scored  and 
a  new  deal  commences.  This  continues 
until  forty-two  points  have  been  scored  by 
some  player  or  side. 

21.  The  player  buying  the  privilege  of 
naming  the  trump  is  entitled  to  score  all 
the  points  he  may  make;  but  if  he  fail  to 
make  as  many  points  as  the  amount  bid 
by  him,  he  must  be  set  back  just  the 
number  of  points  bid  —  he  cannot  score 
anything  he  may  have  made  during  the 
play  of  that  hand. 

22.  The  amount  bid  by  a  player  for  the 


THE    LAWS    OF    CINCH.  13 

privilege  of  naming  the  trump  is  not  scored 
by  any  of  the  other  players,  but  is  simply 
held  against  the  bidder  as  a  set-back  pen- 
alty in  the  case  of  a  failure  to  win  the 
number  of  points  he  elects  to  by  his  bid. 

23.  If  no  bid  is  made  by  the  other  play- 
ers, the  dealer  is  forced  to  bid  one  and 
name  the  trump. 

24.  The  buyer  of  the  trump  privilege 
is  entitled  to  add  to  his  score  all  points 
that  may  be  found  in  the  discard  pile 
after  the  play  of  the  hand,  as  it  is  fair  to 
presume  the  error  in  discard  was  made  by 
the  adversaries. 

25.  If  any  player,  under  the  impression 
that  the  game  is  either  won,  or  lost,  or 
for  any  other  reason,  throws  his  cards  on 
the  table,  face  upwards,  such  cards  are  ex- 
posed and  can  be  called  by  the  opposing 
player  or  players. 

26.  Should  any  player  drav/  a  card  from 
his    hand    with    the    intention    of    playing 


14  THE    LAWS    OF    CINCH. 

same,  and  in  any  way  expose  it,  that  card 
must  be  played  unless  by  so  doing  a  revoke 
will  be  made,  in  which  case  the  card  so 
drawn  and  exposed  will  be  subject  to  call 
at  any  time, 

27.  Any  one  during  the  play  of  a  trick, 
or  after  the  cards  are  played,  and  before, 
but  not  after,  they  are  touched  for  the  pur- 
pose of  gathering  them  together,  may  de- 
mand that  the  cards  be  placed  before  their 
respective  players. 

28.  If  a  bystander  make  any  remark 
which  calls  the  attention  of  a  player  or 
players  to  an  oversight  affecting  the  score, 
he  can  be  called  upon  to  pay  all  bets  or 
stakes  on  that  game. 

29.  A  bystander,  by  agreement  of  the 
players,  may  decide  any  question. 

30.  Any  player  may  demand  to  see  the 
last  trick  turned  and  no  more. 

31.  If  a  player  make  a  revoke,  he  is 
debarred  from  scoring  any  points  he  may 


THE    LAWS    OF    CINCH.  15 

have  made  in  the  play  of  that  hand,  and 
all  points  contained  in  the  tricks  taken  by 
him  shall  be  scored  by  the  buyer  of  the 
trump;  if  the  bidder  revoke,  he  shall  be  set 
back  the  number  of  points  bid  by  him. 

32.  A  revoke  is  established  as  soon  as 
the  trick  in  which  it  occurs  is  turned  and 
quitted,  or  a  card  has  been  led  for  the  next 
trick. 

33.  The  question  of  "how  many  cards 
did  you  draw,"  addressed  to  any  of  the 
players  after  a  card  has  been  played,  is 
irregular,  and  if  asked  should  not  be  an- 
swered. 

FOUR-HANDED, 

34.  In  four-handed  Cinch,  the  players 
usually  decide  who  shall  be  partners  by 
cutting  the  cards,  the  two  highest  playing 
against  the  two  lowest.  Two  players  cut- 
ting cards  of  equal  value,  unless  such  cards 
are  the  two  highest,  cut  again.  Should 
the}^  be  the  two  lowest,  a  fresh  cut  is  ne- 


16  THE    LAWS    OF    CINCH. 

cessary  to  decide  which   of  the  two  deals. 

35.  The  partners  sit  opposite  each  other, 
the  same  as  at  Whist.  In  cutting  for  part- 
ners, the  Ace  is  the  lowest  card  and  the 
player  cutting  the   lowest  card  shall  deal. 

36.  In  a  four-handed  game  (partners) 
the  dealer  discards  all  of  his  cards  that 
are  not  trumps  and  selects  what  cards  he 
desires  from  all  of  the  pack  that  remains 
after  the  other  players  have  been  helped. 
Should  there  be  more  trumps  in  the  un- 
dealt  cards  than  the  dealer  requires  to  make 
good  his  hand,  he  selects  what  cards  he 
wants  and  lays  the  remaining  cards  in  the 
discard  pile,  faces  up.  If  there  should  not 
be  enough  cards  remaining  after  the  other 
players  have  been  helped  to  complete  his 
hand,  he  shall  draw  cards  from  the  discard 
of  his  own  hand. 

37.  The  discarding,  etc.,  in  a  four- 
handed  game,  is  governed  by  rule  No.  17, 
with    this    exception — the    dealer   discards 


THE    LAWS    OF    CINCH.  17 

first.  This  is  done  that  the  dealer  may 
show  the  strength  of  his  hand  to  his  part- 
ner, who  can  then  use  proper  judgment  in 
discarding  from  his  hand,  declining  to  call 
for  any  cards  if  he  thinks  that  by  so  doing 
his  partner's  hand  will  be  strengthened. 

38.  If  any  player  lead  out  of  turn,  his 
adversary  may  either  call  the  card  so  led, 
or  may  call  on  him  or  his  partner  to  lead 
any  suit  when  it  is  next  the  turn  of  either 
to  lead.  But  if  any  player  leads  out  of 
turn  and  the  other  players  have  followed 
him  and  played,  the  trick  is  complete  and 
the  error  cannot  be  rectified. 

39.  If  any  one,  prior  to  his  partner  play- 
ing, should  call  attention  to  the  trick — 
either  by  saying  it  is  his  or  by  naming  his 
card,  or,  without  being  asked  to,  should 
draw  it  towards  him — the  adversaries  may 
require  that  opponent's  partner  to  play  the 
highest  or  lowest  of  the  suit  then  led,  or  to 
win  or  lose  the  trick. 


18  THE    LAWS    OF    CINCH. 

40.  If  during  the  bidding  for  the  trump 
privilege  any  player  should  name  the  suit 
he  is  bidding  on  before  the  dealer  has 
accepted  his  bid,  or  if  he  should  in  any 
other  way  give  any  information  as  to  the 
suit  he  intends  naming  for  trump,  in  case 
his  bid  should  be  accepted, the  dealer  may 
call  for  a  new  deal,  if  he  so  desires,  and 
in  such  an  event  shall  not  lose  his  deal. 

41.  If  during  the  discarding  from  a 
hand,  or  during  the  drawing  of  cards,  or  if 
at  any  time  during  the  play  of  a  hand  a 
player  should  in  any  waj'^  expose  a  trump 
held  by  him,  the  opposing  players  may 
either  claim  a  new  deal  or  exact  the  pen- 
alty incurred  by  exposing  a  card.  (See 
Rule  26.)  It  is  not  expected  that  a  new 
deal  should  be  demanded  for  the  uninten- 
tional exposure  of  a  minor  trump  card,  or 
one  that  could  possibly  have  no  bearing  on 
the  result  of  the  play  of  the  hand.  The 
privilege    of    claiming   a  new  deal  should 


THE    LAWS    OF    CINCH.  19 

only  be  taken  advantage  of  when  it  is  ap- 
parent that  the  card  exposed  would  convey 
such  information  to  the  player's  partner  that 
would  or  could  in  any  way  affect  his  play. 


RAZZLE-DAZZLE   CINCH. 


This  game  was  the  outcome  of  the  lei- 
sure moments  of  some  of  our  representa- 
tives in  Washington,  and  has  the  great 
merit  of  being  very  amusing,  and  can  be 
played  by  four,  five,  or  six  people,  making 
a  very  entertaining  parlor  game. 

The  rules  governing  it  are  the  same  in 
the  abstract  as  those  governing  regular 
Cinch,  with  the  following  differences: 
When  five  or  six  play  the  game,  but  six 
cards  are  originally  dealt.  Each  player 
acts  independently  of  all  the  other  players 
in  bidding  for  the  trump  privilege,  as 
ther^^are  no  partners,  in  the  proper  accep- 
tation  of  the  term.  After  the  trump  is 
named,  the  cards  all  discarded  and  the 
hands  all  helped,  as  far  as  the  undealt 
cards  will  permit,  the  buyer  of  the  trump 


THE    LxVWS    OF    CINCH.  21 

calls  upon  a  certain  card  to  be  his  partner, 
and  the  party  holding  that  card  becomes 
his  partner  for  that  hand  only,  and  all  the 
other  players  combine  against  the  two,  and 
all  points  made  by  the  buyer  and  his  call 
are  credited  to  their  respective  scores,  aS 
in  the  regular  game,  and  the  points  made 
by  the  opposing  parties  are  similarly  scored, 
each  player  being  credited  with  the  full 
number  of  points  made  by  their  side. 
Should  the  buyer  and  his  call  fail  to 
make  the  amount  bid,  they  are  each  set 
back  the  number  of  points  bid  for  the 
trump  privilege. 

When  the  play  of  one  deal  has  been 
completed  and  the  points  scored,  another 
deal  commences  by  the  party  whose  legiti- 
mate turn  it  is  to  deal,  and  the  bid4ing 
goes  on  as  before,  and  the  buyer  again 
calls  for  any  card  he  may  elect  to,  after 
his  discard  has  been  made  and  his  hand 
completed. 


32  THE    LAWS    OF    CINCH. 

If  the  buyer  of  the  trump  privilege  feels 
that  his  hand  is  strong  enough  to  make 
the  amount  bid  by  him,  and  he  prefers  to 
play  without  a  partner,  the  calling  and 
joining  forces  with  any  other  player  is  not 
compulsory,  but  it  is  seldom  that  one  hand 
can  make  a  successful  stand  against  three 
or  four  other  hands. 

This  play  is  continued  until  some  one  of 
the  party  has  scored  the  required  42. 

If  the  game  should  be  for  a  stake,  and 
more  than  one  player  should  score  the  42 
simultaneously,  the  stake  should  be  di- 
vided amongst  the  successful  hands. 

GENERAL. 

Little  can  be  said  in  regard  to  the  value 
of  cards  or  the  method  of  play  in  a  two- 
handed  game,  as  an  average  of  fully  one- 
half  the  pack  will  remain  undealt,  and 
the  points  in  play  being  always  uncer- 
tain,   many   hands  are  purely  speculative, 


THE    LAWS    OF    CINCH.  33 

and  the  non-bidder  can  often,  by  declining 
to  draw  any  cards,  defeat  his  adversary 
who  bid  more  than  the  real  value  of  his 
hand,  relying  upon  catching  points  in  his 
opponent's  hand.  These  pretty  points  of 
play,  however,  are  more  intuitive  than 
aught  else,  and  no  rules  could  ever  be 
formulated  to  cover  them. 

In  a  game  of  three  hands,  the  object  of 
each  player  remains  the  same  as  in  a  two 
or  four-handed  game — to  make  points  for 
his  own  score;  but  if  he  finds  he  is  not 
able  to  succeed  in  that,  his  next  endeavor 
should  be  to  do  all  in  his  power  to  set  back 
the  buying  player,  who  is  striving  to  se- 
cure sufficient  points  to  make  his  bid  good. 
In  doing  this,  however,  proper  attention 
should  be  paid  to  the  state  of  the  score  and 
the  play  regulated  accordingly.  Thus  it 
is  good  policy  and  equitable  play,  when  a 
player  holds  points  which  he  finds  he  can- 
not make,  to  play  them  if  possible  into  the 


24  THE    LAWS    OF    CINCH. 

hands  of  the  player  whose  score  is  lowest, 
even  should  the  lowest  score  belong  to  the 
bidder. 

All  good  card  players  are  aware  of  the 
importance  of  affording  information  as  to 
the  unplayed  cards  they  hold,  and  in  the 
game  of  Cinch  this  can  be  done  not  only 
by  your  play  but  by  your  bid;  the  rules 
governing  such  bids  and  plays  must  be 
largely  conventional,  and  subject  to  modifi- 
cations, when  necessary.  Thus,  if  you  are 
the  age  hand  in  a  game  of  partners,  if  you 
should  hold  one  or  more  five-spots  and  lit- 
tle other  strength,  a  bid  of  five  would  con- 
vey to  your  partner  that  you  had  a  five- 
spot,  and  he  could  strengthen  his  bid  if  he 
could  know  what  color  your  five- spot  was, 
which  he  can  often  do.  A  single  Ace,  with 
little  or  no  support,  in  the  hands  of  the  age 
player,  always  warrants  a  bid  of  six,  and 
your  partner  can  often  know  just  what  suit 
your  Ace  is  from.     On  an  Ace  and  King  of 


THE    LAWS    OF    CINCH.  25 

a  suit,  with  any  support  at  all,  seven  can 
be  safely  bid  by  the  first  bidder. 

The  second  player,  in  bidding,  is  not 
called  upon  to  recognize  the  legitimate 
value  of  the  cards  he  holds,  as  his  partner 
is  the  dealer,  and  having  all  the  remaining 
cards  to  draw  from,  has  at  least  one  point 
the  advantage  of  the  other  players. 

The  third  player  should  raise  the  bid  of 
the  second  player,  if  his  cards  warrant  it, 
and  in  most  cases  bid  the  full  value  of 
his  hand  and  force  the  dealer  to  give  the 
largest  possible  bid  if  he  wishes  to  name 
the  trump. 

The  dealer  can  afford  to  risk  more  on  his 
hand  than  any  other  player,  and  the  state 
of  the  score  and  his  partner's  bid  should 
govern  his  offer. 

As  before  stated,  these  rules  are  purely 
conventional,  and  a  good  player  will  soon 
learn  just  when  to  force  the  fighting. 

Proper  attention   should   at  all  times  be 


116  THE    LAWS    OF    CINCH. 

paid  to  the  score  when  bidding,  for,  if  well 
ahead  of  your  adversaries,  you  can  afford 
to  speculate  a  little  on  your  partner's  hand, 
unless  you  should  be  within  three  or  four 
points  of  the  goal,  when  conservative  play 
is  both  judicious  and  advisable.  When 
both  scores  are  within  six  or  seven  points 
of  the  required  number,  always  bear  in 
mind  that  the  five-spot  of  trumps  counts 
before  the  Cinch,  as  you  can  often  force 
the  play  you  want  by  losing  the  Cinch  to 
your  opponents. 

It  is  a  difficult  matter  to  make  any 
analysis  of  leads  or  hands  in  the  game  of 
Cinch.  The  play  of  a  hand  depends  a 
great  deal  upon  the  amount  bid,  the  num- 
ber of  trumps  held  by  you  and  the  strength 
developed  in  the  other  hands  by  the  dis- 
cards. 

As  buyer  of  trump,  with  Ace  and  one 
inferior  trump,  and  your  partner  showing 
numerical  strength  by  his  draw,  lead  Ace 


THE    LAWS    OF    CINCH.  27 

at  once  to  relieve  your  partner  of  an}^ 
5-spot  he  may  hold;  with  Ace  and  King 
alone,  if  no  5-spot  falls  upon  your  Ace 
lead,  it  is  frequently  good  play  to  hold 
your  King  and  lead  an  off-suit;  with  Ace 
and  King  and  one  inferior  trump,  or 
Ace  and  two  inferior  trumps,  the  same 
policy  is  advisable.  With  four  strong 
leads  and  no  5-spot,  you  can  afford  to  be 
aggressive;  at  the  same  time,  if  your  first 
lead  be  with  an  Ace  and  your  partner  plays 
no  5-spot  upon  it,  and  he  showed  two  or 
more  trumps  from  his  discard,  it  is  good 
play  to  lead  an  off-suit,  letting  your  partner 
utilize  his  trumps  by  heading  the  trick  in 
the  3rd  play,  thus  strengthening  your  own 
hand;  when  this  course  of  play  is  adopted, 
your  partner  should  lead  you  an  off-suit  in 
return,  and  your  adversaries  will  soon  give 
evidence  of  being  in  trouble. 

If  your  partner  has  four  or  more  trumps 
it  is  a  great  help  to  his  hand  to  have  the 


38  THE    LAWS    OF    CINCH. 

trumps  forced,  and  you  should  lead  him 
your  best  card.  If  the  buyer  of  a  trump 
finds  that  either  of  his  adversaries  have  a 
greater  number  of  trumps  than  he  has, 
he  should  try  to  equalize  the  hands,  after 
his  first  lead,  by  leading  an  off-suit  through 
or  up  to  the  longest  hand — provided  he 
knows  his  partner  to  have  two  or  more 
trumps — otherwise  he  might  just  as  well 
force  the  opposing  hands  by  always  lead- 
ing his  best  card. 

A  5-spot  is  an  element  of  weakness  in 
your  hand,  unless  well  guarded,  as  your 
play  is  often  cramped  by  trying  to  protect 
it.  With  both  Cinch  and  Pedro  in  your 
hand  and  two  other  trumps,  it  is  often  good 
play  to  lead  your  Cinch  at  the  start,  as  it 
will  draw  one  or  more  leading  cards  and 
thus  strengthen  both  your  own  and  ji'our 
partner's  hands;  with  both  Cinch  and  Pedro 
in  your  hand  and  highest  trump  lead,  or 
played  by  your  partner,  play  your  Cinch,  as 


THE    LAWS    OF    CINCH.  29 

the  play  of  the  Pedro  on  your  partner's 
lead  should  be  accepted  as  evidence  that 
the  Cinch  is  not  in  your  hand. 

When  second  player,  with  one  or  both  5- 
spots  in  your  hand  and  inferior  trump  or 
off-suit  led  by  first  player,  play  your  Cinch 
or  Pedro  and  trust  the  trick  to  your  part- 
ner. 

After  a  few  games  a  good  player  can 
become  en  rapport  with  his  partner's  method 
of  play,  and  govern  himself  accordingly. 

In  support  of  the  lead  of  an  off-suit,  after 
the  lead  of  an  Ace  or  as  the  first  lead,  take 
the  following  hand: 

"  CLUES  trumps;  deal  anywhere." 

A — Ace,  King,  Queen  Clubs  and  three 
cards  of  other  suits. 

Y — 10,  8,  6,  5,  3  Clubs  and  Cinch. 

B — Knave,  9,  7  Clubs  and  three  cards  of 
any  other  suit. 

Z — 4,  2  Clubs  and  four  cards  of  any  other 
suit. 


30  THE    LAWS    OF    CINCH. 

If  A  leads  his  trumps  successively,  A  and 
B  can  make  but  3  points;  if  A  leads  trumps 
twice  and  then  leads  an  off-suit,  A  and  B 
can  make  but  4  points.  If,  however,  A 
leads  trumps  and  then  an  off-suit,  B's  hand 
being  properly  played,  A  and  B  make  9 
points,  and  if  A's  first  lead  is  an  off-suit,  .14 
points  will  be  made  by  them. 

In  like  manner,  suppose 
"CLUBS  trumps;  deal  anywhere." 

A — Ace,  7,  6,  4  Clubs  and  two  other 
cards  of  any  kind. 

Y — King,  Queen,  Knave,  10,  5  Clubs  and 
Cinch. 

B — 9,  3  Clubs  and  four  other  cards  of 
any  other  suit. 

Z — 8,  2  Clubs  and  four  other  cards; 
or, 

A — King,  Queen,  6,  3  Clubs  and  any  other 
two  cards. 

Y — Ace,  Knave,  10,  9,  5  Clubs  and  Cinch. 

B — 8,  4  Clubs  and  four  other  cards. 


THE    LAWS    OF    CINCH.  31 

Z — 7,  2  Clubs  and  any  other  four  cards. 

If  A  has  bought  the  trump  for  6  or  7, 
his  only  possible  hope  to  make  his  bid 
would  be  by  leading  an  off-suit  as  first 
lead.  If  Z  held  one  of  the  o-spots  and  Y 
one  less  trump,  the  result  would  be  the 
same;  or  if  Z  one  5-spot  and  three  trumps, 
or  two  5  and  two  other  trum.ps,  the  play 
would  be  the  same — so  that  where  the  buy- 
ing side  has  but  six  trumps  against  their 
opponent's  seven,  an  off-suit  lead  is  at  all 
times  the  safest. 

If  3^our  partner  holds  a  5-spot,  your  Ace 
is  always  sure  of  G  points,  whether  led  or 
not,  and  his  first  play  conveys  information 
on  that  score — if,  for  instance,  on  your  off- 
suit  lead  your  partner  declines  to  head  the 
trick,  the  inference  is  that  he  has  no  trump 
high  enough,  or  has  both  -"i-spots  in  his 
hand,  and  you  can  govern  your  play 
accordingly;  if  on  the  other  hand  he  heads 
the  trick,  the  inference  is   certain  that  he 


32  THE    LAWS    OF    CINCH. 

has  not  both  the  5-spots  in  his  hand,  or  is 
all  trumps,  and  in  many  cases  his  return 
lead  will  convey  to  you  the  desired  infor- 
mation, whether  he  has  any  5  or  not. 

With  the  amount  bid  safe  in  hand,  it  is 
often  the  best  play  to  be  aggressive  and 
lead  trumps;  but  with  7  or  more  bid  and 
but  three  trumps  or  less,  it  can  be  safely 
assumed  that  in  nearly  all  cases  the  off- 
suit  lead  is  the  wisest  plan  of  action.  Of 
course,  with  a  partner  that  does  not  under- 
stand the  game,  no  rules  for  proper  play 
can  be  laid  down,  but  you  must  play  your 
own  hand  as  the  emergency  demands. 

Away  back  in  the  early  part  of  the  sev- 
enteenth century,  when  Whist  was  in  its 
infancy,  a  short  treatise  on  the  rules  and 
laws  of  the  game  was  published  anony- 
mously, and  when  Edmond  Floyle  ac- 
knowledged the  authorship  he  became 
famous  the  world  over,  and  though  he  has 
been  dead   over  a  hundred  years,  and  the 


THE    LAWS    OF    CINCH.  33 

original  treatise  lost  in  the  revised  and 
unabridged  works  of  modern  authorities, 
he  is  still  referred  to  by  a  large  majority 
of  people  as  the  present  standard  author- 
ity on  not  only  cards  but  all  games,  and 
"according  to  Hoyle"  has  become  one  of 
the  necessarj^  phrases  of  the  times.  A 
closer  study  of  the  different  leading  games 
of  cards  has  resulted  in  extensive  and 
exhaustive  analytical  works,  and  the  best 
soon  becomes  the  acknowledged  authority. 

ETIQUETTE. 

In  laying  down  any  rules  on  the  etiquette 
of  Cinch,  we  cannot  do  better  than  to  fol- 
low the  etiquette  of  Whist  as  laid  down 
by  Cavendish,  and  as  the  future  of  Cinch 
will  develop  it  as  a  co-equal  of  Whist, 
there  is  no  reason  why  as  much  respect 
should  not  be  paid  to  all  its  surroundings. 
Cavendish  says:  The  following  rules  be- 
long to  the  established  Etiquette  of  Whist. 


34  THE    LAWS    OF    CINCH. 

They  are  not  called  laws,  as  it  is  difficult 
— in  some  cases  impossible — to  apply  any 
penalty  to  their  infraction,  and  the  only 
remedy  is  to  cease  to  play  with  partners 
who  habitually  disregard  them: 

Any  one  having  the  lead  and  several 
winning  cards  to  play,  should  not  draw  a 
second  card  out  of  his  hand  until  his  part- 
ner has  played  to  the  first  trick,  such  act 
being  a  distinct  intimation  that  the  former 
has  played  a  winning  card. 

No  intimation  whatever,  by  word  or  gest- 
ure, should  be  given  by  a  player  as  to  the 
state  of  his  hand,  or  of  the  game. 

A  player  who  desires  the  cards  to  be 
placed,  or  who  demands  to  see  the  last 
trick,  should  do  it  for  his  own  information 
only,  and  not  in  order  to  invite  the  atten- 
tion of  his  partner. 

No  player  should  object  to  refer  to  a  by- 
stander who  professes  himself  uninterested 
in  the  game,  and  able  to  decide  any  dis- 


THE    LAWS    OF    CINCH.  35 

puted  question  of  facts;  as  to  who  played 
any  particular  card,  etc.,  etc. 

It  is  unfair  to  revoke  purposel)'';  having 
made  a  revoke,  a  player  is  not  justified  in 
making  a  second  in  order  to  conceal  the 
first. 

Until  the  players  have  made  such  bets 
as  they  wish,  bets  should  not  be  made  with 
bystanders. 

Bystanders  should  make  no  remark, 
neither  should  they  by  word  or  gesture 
give  any  intimation  of  the  state  of  the 
game  until  concluded  and  scored,  nor 
should  they  walk  around  the  table  to 
look  at  the  different  hands. 

No  one  should  look  over  the  shoulder  of 
a  player  against  whom  he  is  betting. 

The  Chicago  Cinch  Club, 
P.  O.  Box  543, 

Chicago,  III. 


GV 
BK  RH 


